Savvy B2B Marketing

Wendy

Make it easy for the Publisher

Press releases need to get people's attention. But perhaps more importantly they need to get the attention of the publisher first. When newspapers, websites, and magazines are looking for “free” material, it's not hard to slip in a story about your business provided it follows some very important guidelines:

• Make sure you are addressing the proper audience (a national story submitted to a local publication is not going to be published)

• Write the press release in such a way that a publication can drop it in as is. If an extensive rewrite is required, it's not going to make it to anyone's to-do list.

• Include all pertinent material – photos, identification (with titles) of all quotes, graphs, etc. Make it easy for the publisher.

• Write your lede, trash it and then rewrite it. If you can't get the publication's attention you don't have a chance. Make sure it rocks.

• Do the same for your headline. An attention grabbing headline is worth it's weight.

• Try to pretend that it's not all about you (even though we both know it is). Write the press release as if it were really newsworthy and not because you are selling something. 

Jamie

Two things:

1. Remember that it's got to be a STORY.
2. Focus on ONE topic.

Far too often, I see press releases that are completely devoid of any actual story - they are just a list of factoids, canned quotes, and data - strung together in a disjointed jumble of nonsense that is neither informative nor entertaining. A good press release tells a story that is relevant to the audience. One super easy way to do this is to tell a customer story. Weave your product message in, but keep the focus on the benefits of working with you in a way that your audience (other people like your existing client, perhaps) will "get."

Speaking of focus, a press release should not be an "everything-and-the-kitchen-sink" affair. Journalists, editors, and readers are all busy people. Don't dilute your important message by throwing in a bunch of extraneous crap that has nothing to do with your primary story. Think lean and mean - make every sentence relevant to the main message and you'll be able to make your point.

Stephanie

As David Meerman Scott says, the press release is no longer just to announce new products. Because these announcements can raise search engine visibility, use them to make prospects, customers, partners and others aware of your latest resources, including eBooks, white papers, videos, and podcasts.

And if you're interested in distributing releases optimized for social networks, check out PitchEngine.

Kate

I almost always use press releases for their "2.0" purpose - that is to say, for raising online impressions and getting noticed in search results. So my tip is this - get it published wherever you can. There are plenty of free posting sites (like prlog.org and 24-7pressrelease.com), but don't forget to post it on your website too - you DO have a "news and events" section, right?

Then, don't be afraid to repurpose the content for a blog post, email newsletter blast, or other customer touch points

Of course, you still need to be sure the press release is about something a potential customer would actually find interesting. Did you open a new packing facility in Madrid? Great, but be sure to lead with how that will benefit your customers. WIIFM applies to press releases as well.